Mobile elevator



W, A. WILLE MOB ILE ELEVATOR Feb. 6, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.v 15, 1966 26 INVENTOR.

h/ZZ/Zkm 4, 11/? Ne Feb. 6, 1968 W. A. WILLE MOBILE ELEVATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec. 15, 1966 R O T N E V m W. A. WILLE MOBILE ELEVATOR Feb. 6, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 15, 1966 47 22 %amga/% United States Patent 3,367,448 MOBILE ELEVATOR William A. Wille, Mayflower Lane, Mai-den Estates, Long Grove, Ill. 60047 Filed Dec. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 601,906 4 Claims. (Cl. 187-2) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mobile elevator having a first mast section hingedly mounted on a wheeled vehicle and a mast extension hingedly connected thereto, end to end, both of which are movable from horizontal collapsed positions overlying the vehicle into an upstanding vertical position of use. Power means operates to raise the first mast section and cable means is operable to raise the mast extension, and an elevator platform is carried by the mast assembly for movement along substantially the entire extended length thereof.

The mobile elevator of the present invention is particularly useful to hoist building material to high floor levels, such as for example, at the site of a building under construction. Heretofore, stationary elevator shafts have been specially erected adjacent to a building for this purpose. However, the erection and subsequent dismantling of such stationary elevator shafts is time consuming and very expensive. In the present structure, the elevator shaft is comprised of a first mast section and an extension mast section which sections are hingedly connected end to end and the first section is hingedly mounted on :a vehicle, such as a truck. When the mast is collapsed, it lies horizontally over the truck body and may be transported readily. When in raised position of use it is rigid and affords a vertical track along which an elevator platform may be advanced.

An object of the invention is to provide a mobile elevator shaft.

Another object is to provide a mobile elevator shaft that is readily collapsed into a folded condition over the body of a vehicle mounting same.

Another object is to provide a novelly constructed elevator shaft wherein said shaft is comprised of skeleton sections hingedly connected end to end.

Another object is to provide, in a collapsible elevator shaft, novel means for moving same from collapsed to extended position and vice versa.

Another object is to provide an elevator shaft assembly of the character referred to which is not expensive to construct, is easily set up in a position of use, may be transported easily, and which is very efficient and highly satisfactory in use.

The structure by means of which the above noted and other objects and advantages of the invention are attained will be described in the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, showing a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the mobile elevator showing it in extended position for use.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the elevator collapsed in full lines and partially elevated in dotted lines.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail side elevational view of the mounted end of the elevator.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the elevator mast, taken substantially on line 55 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the shaft illustrating the elevator cable arrangement.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the hydraulic system.

Referring to the exemplary disclosure of the mobile elevator shown in the accompanying drawings, the elevator shaft or mast 10 is mounted on the tail end of a vehicle, such as truck 11. The truck preferably is of a type having a bed 12 and it has at its front end a pair of upstanding support frames 13-14 for a purpose to be explained presently.

Preferably, to accomodate the elevator mast structure, the truck chassis has a rearwardly extending platform or frame structure 16 to afford mounting means for the elevator mast. The elevator mast 10 is comprised of two sections 10a and 10b, each fabricated from structural beams and angles to constitute a skeleton frame that is substantially square in section. When the' elevator mast is in the extended or elevated position of use shown in FIG. 1, the mast section 1012 is supported on the upper end of mast section 10a whereas, when in the collapsed position shown in FIG. 2, the mast section 10a lies in a substantially horizontal plane overlying the truck with its forwardly disposed end seated upon the upstanding support frames 13-14 and the mast section 10b lying substantially fiat over the mast section 10a. As shown, these two mast sections are hingedly connected end to end as by hinge 17.

The lower mast section 10a carries adjacent to its lower end rigid bearing plates 18 that are hingedly connected, as at 19, to a standard 21 carried by frame structure 16. Movement of mast section 10a from its collapsed to vertically extended positon, and vice versa, is accom plished by means of hydraulic piston-cylinder assemblies 22, one arranged on each lateral side of said mast section. Suitable manually controlled hydraulic means, referred to in detail hereinafter, is provided to actuate the pistoncylinder assemblies.

The upper mast section 10b is carried into its vertical extended position and vice versa, by means of a cable 23, attached at one end to the uppermost or free end of mast section 1011, as at 24, and at its lower end to a winch 25 carried on the front end of the vehicle. It should be apparent upon viewing FIG. 2, that as the lower mast section 10a is being raised or lowered, the winch 25 is operated to tension or relax cable 23 so as to control the raising or lowering of the upper mast section 10b. This winch may be manually operated or it may be associated with a suitable power source. The cable 23 also functions as a guy to increase stability of the mast assembly.

In order to maintain the extended elevator mast rigid, the upper mast section 10b has on its lower end and on the face opposed to hinge 17, a longitudinal tail extension 26 that abuts the upper extremity of mast section 10a when the mast sections are in vertical alignment. This tail extension 26 also affords leverage means engageable by cable 23 (FIG. 2) to assist the elevation of mast section 10b about its hinge mounting 17. Increased leverage is obtained by training the cable 23 over a lateral bridge 27 formed on extension 26.

When the elevator mast assembly is in extended vertical position, as shown in FIG. 1, its load is carried by ground support surface 28. For this purpose the lower end of mast section 10a carries a ground engaging stabilizing skid 29 adequately reinforced by at least one truss 31. Should the assembly require leveling to insure absolute vertical disposition, at least one leveling jack 32 is carried by the rearwardly facing end of skid 29 and the truck is stabilized by a jack 33.

The upright stringers 34 (FIG. 1) on the rearmost or exposed face of the extended mast assembly constitute, or may have mounted thereon, vertical tracks along which an elevator 35 travels. In order to accomplish this the cross braces on the track side of the mast assembly are offset inwardly of the face thereof as best shown in FIG.

5. This elevator may comprise a back plate 35a and platform 35b, the latter 'being hingedly connected to the back plate, as at 350, so that the platform can be folded upwardly to lie close to the back plate when the elevator mast is in collapsed position illustrated in FIG. 2. The elevator 35 is adapted to be carried along the entire length of the extended elevator mast and to this end it is connected to a cable 36 operably connected with a winch 37 mounted preferably on the truck chassis extension 16. Preferably the cable 36 is connetced (FIG. 6) at its upper end, as at 38, to the remote end of mast section 10b, then trained over a pulley 39 on the elevator back plate and extended back up and trained over pulley 41 from where it depends through the mast sections to a sheave 42 and then to the winch 37. In order to prevent the lengths of elevator cable 36 lying outside the mast from tangling when the mast assembly is folded, a cross bar 40 (FIG. 6) is thrust laterally in front of the cables so that the cables will Wrap around same when the mast is folded. When the elevator is in use, the cross bar 40 is removed.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the winch is operated by a hydraulic motor 43. Although various types of hydraulic systems may be provided it is preferred to utilize an assemblage such as shown in FIG. 7. As there illustrated, the hydraulic system includes a reservoir tank 44 carried by the truck chassis and having a pump 45 associated with it which is operably connected to the truck power source. A manifold valve 47 is also mounted on the chassis extension 16 and this is connected, by conduits 48 and 49 with the reservoir tank. Conduits 51 and 52 connect the hydraulic motor 43 with said valve assembly, one of which includes a cooling radiator 53. Also connected with the manifold valve are the two cylinder-piston assemblies 22. It should be evident that upon manipulation of the proper controls on the manifold valve 47, the piston-cylinder assemblies 22 can be operated to raise and lower the mast assembly and the hydraulic motor 43 may be operated to operate the elevator cable winch 37.

It should be quite apparent that applicant has provided a mobile collapsible elevator mast of considerable height thus affording mobile means for carrying loads to high level positions as when erected adjacent to a building B under construction. When its use is no longer required at a given site, it may be collapsed readily and transported to another site where it may be positioned and erected easily and quickly.

Although I have described a preferred embodiment of the invention, in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative,

rather than restrictive as many details of the structure disclosed may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction described.

I claim:

1. A mobile elevator assembly comprising a wheeled vehicle supported on a ground surface, a first mast section hingedly mounted adjacent one end on said vehicle, means operable to raise said mast from a substantially horizontal position into a vertical position whereby said one end rests upon the ground surface, a mast extension hingedly mounted at one end on the other end of said first mast section, a cable connected at one end to the other end of said mast extension, winch means on the vehicle operable to collect said cable for elevating said mast extension, a longitudinal extension on the hinged end of said mast extension having surface engagement with a side surface of the first mast section to retain the mast extension in parallel with the first mast section when the mast extension is elevated, tracks coextensive with the lengths of both masts, and an elevator platform mounted on said masts for movement vertically along said tracks.

2. The assembly recited in claim 1, in which a skid is provided on the said one end of the first mast section for engagement with the ground surface.

3. The assembly recited in claim 1, in which adjustable leveling jacks are carried on the said one end of the first mast section.

4. The assembly recited in claim 1, in which the elevator is cable suspended and means is provided to prevent tangling of the cable when the mast sections are in folded condition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,241,275 5/1941 Shinn 187-2 2,573,528 10/1951 Woolslayer 212144 2,653,685 10/1953 Buck 187-2 2,671,537 3/1954 Moon 52-115 2,923,381 2/1960 Wilkinson 52115 3,173,549 3/1965 Bender 212-46 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,282,889 2/ 1961 France.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner. 

